The ADRL had only 30 days to put together a national event at Heartland Park Topeka and many in the racing community questioned how the event would turn out with a limited time to promote.

Steve Matusek considers Heartland Park Topeka to be a home track.

The President of Aeromotive, who campaigns one of the more innovative
Competition eliminator cars on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series,
used his knowledge of the track’s administration and the ADRL’s
management staff to establish a baseline of standards for the inaugural
Topeka-hosted ADRL event.

Alcohol eliminations are complete at Lebanon Valley Dragway with the
prestigious Wally trophies going to Top Alcohol Dragster pilot Darren
Nicholson from Mission Viejo, Calif., and Top Alcohol Funny Car driver
Frank Manzo, of Morganville, N.J. Parings are also set for the
remaining classes of Sunday’s eliminations at the fourth NHRA Northeast
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event.

Nicholson, who made his third divisional appearance, picked up his
first win of the season. He defeated the divisional points leader to
reach the finals in which he posted a 5.600 second, 256.45 mph pass to
defeat Rich McPhillips of Phoenixville, Pa., to pick up the hardware.

Top Alcohol Funny Car legend Frank Manzo once again staked his claim by
posting back to back wins and Lebanon.  His final pass of 5.647 seconds
at 254.76 mph was more than enough to pick up his third divisional win
of the year and cement his place at the top of the Northeast.

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the
River Cree Resort & Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by
Paradise RV at Castrol Raceway, the fifth of 10 events in the 2009
Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series.  Pairings based on results in qualifying,
which ended Saturday.

Despite a sudden downpour during the afternoon session and chilly
temperatures throughout the day, the IHRA still saw record crowds
during the SMS Equipment Night of Fire at the River Cree Resort and
Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Paradise RV Saturday night
at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta Canada.

It was standing room only before the showers and more of the same once
the rains subsided as fans in attendance stayed to see a collection of
nearly ever form of drag racing on the planet earth.

Top qualifiers during Saturday’s SMS Equipment Night of Fire were Terry
McMillen (Top Fuel), Ed Hoover (Pro Modified), Roger Bateman (Alcohol
Funny Car), Jason Arkinstall (Nitro Bikes), Gary Christopher (Pro
Modified Bikes) and Eddy Plaizier (Pro Nostalgia).

Veteran racers dominated victory lane for the National Guard ADRL July
4, as Mike Janis earned his first Pro Extreme title, Shannon Jenkins
scored his second Pro Nitrous trophy in as many days, Billy Glidden
returned to winning in Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 after just one day’s
absence, Scott Gray picked up his third career Pro Extreme Motorcycle
win and Elijah Morton joined Janis as a first-time winner in Extreme
Pro Stock at the Hardee’s Independence Drags III at Heartland Park
Topeka.
 
Though a National Guard ADRL rookie this year, Janis is a former world
champion with another sanctioning body and has been working on adapting
his supercharged 1968 Camaro’s tune-up to running the ADRL’s
eighth-mile race distance. After qualifying sixth in Topeka, he outran
Wes Johnston in the opening round, received a free pass in round two
when Neal Wantye’s car broke during its burnout, ran a career-best 3.74
at 200.71 mph in the semis against Joshua Hernandez and defeated Cody
Barklage with a strong 3.85-seconds pass at 197.65 in the Pro Extreme
final.

Just a few days after suffering a nasty accident at the Rocky Mountain Nationals last year at Castrol Raceway Dale
Creasy Jr., while still lying in a hospital bed in Edmonton with casts
on both legs, vowed he would one day return to the track that almost
took his ability to walk and make a successful pass in the same lane
that got him.

Last night, Creasy made good on that promise.

With the world watching and waiting to see how the Illinois native
would handle running on the same track and in the same lane that
provided a years worth of rehab and 13 surgeries exactly one year ago,
Creasy made a successful pass to the approval of the thousands who were
on hand to witness the emotional moment.

The objective of military issue ACU (formerly BTU) uniforms is to blend in with the scenery. For the National Guard-sponsored Josh Hernandez, the paint scheme for his 1957 Chevy made him stand out.

In the rain-delayed ADRL Summer Drags battle the conspicuous nature
only worked to his advantage as he defeated Bubba Stanton in the final
round and elicited the cheers of a military friendly contingent at
Heartland Park Topeka. The dragstrip is situated next to Forbes Field,
a limited us Air Force facility.

If Billy Glidden were in Vegas, 21 would be a great number.

However, in Topeka, Kan., the number didn’t have the same appeal.

During the rescheduled ADRL Ford Drive One Summer Drags eliminations
contested in Topeka, former Limited Street racer Jeff Paulk ended
Glidden’s consecutive rounds won streak at 21.

“Billy’s tough,” said Paulk, who ended up runner-up to Jeff Naiser.
“We’re just trying to get our new deal figured out, so we’re happy with
this.”

Qualifying and time trials are underway at Lebanon Valley Dragway. Top
Alcohol Dragster pilot John Finke of Selkirk, N.Y., and Top Alcohol
Funny Car driver Frank Manzo, Morganville, N.J., took the No. 1
qualifying positions in their classes. This weekend’s event, which runs
through Sunday, is the fourth of seven NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing
Series events scheduled for the Northeast division.

Finke owned the track today, by running a 5.394 second, 267.37 mph pass
to take the top spot of the field.  The current divisional points
leader was victorious at the Lebanon event in 2008. In Top Alcohol
Funny Car, Manzo posted a 5.645 second, 255.68 mph run to take the
pole.  He comfortably holds onto the lead in divisional points with two
victories, as well as a win at last year’s event.

On a night where records seemed to fall left and right, Pro Modified
driver Ed Hoover made the biggest splash of them all with a new track
mark for speed and elapsed time in front of a packed house Friday the
River Cree Resort and Casino Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by
Paradise RV at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Going head to head with points leader Kenny Lang in a battle of the
United States versus Canada, Hoover (Gilbert, S.C.) got the best of the
Grande Pointe, Manitoba resident with a 6.026 E.T. at 237.55 mph to
Lang’s 6.154 elapsed time at 235.72 mph to top the provisional
qualifying charts and claim Friday’s Last Man Standing in Pro Modified.